Use the computer keyboard to focus, zoom and panUse the camera control feature to focus, zoom and panGet around and take a closer look at things by using camera controlsBe able to stay in one spot and quickly view something from different anglesActivities:

1- Find an object that interests you and inspect it closely from all angles. Also pan around the environment and around yourself.2- Play hide and seek with another friend using only camera controls to search for the other person without moving your avatar.

Step 1: Focusing. Hold down the Alt key to activate Focus Mode. Did you see your cursor change to a magnifying glass while Alt was held down? While continuing to hold down the key, click on anything - an object, the landscape or a person. Notice how the view centers after you click? Even when the object or person moves, your camera will stay with it until it is out of range.Step 2: Zooming. While holding down the Alt key, press the UpArrow key on your keyboard to zoom in and DownArrow key to zoom out.Step 3: Horizontal panning. As you continue to hold down the Alt key, press the RightArrow key or LeftArrow key to pan right or left. This is a great way to go around your subject. You can also pan using your mouse. While holding down the Alt key, drag your mouse around. Did you see that you can zoom by moving the mouse forward or back and you can pan by moving your mouse left or right?Play 'Hide and Seek':

Play 'hide and seek' with another friend using only camera controls to search for the other person without moving your avatar. By the end of this mission you will be able to pan in all directions and angles.

Further Practice

Step 1: Vertical panning. Hold down the Alt and Ctrl keys together then click on something. Now press the UpArrow key or DownArrow key to pan up or down. You can also press the E or C keys to pan up or down. This time the distance from your avatar remains constant but you can pan in all directions using the arrow keys. Try this now: Using your mouse, make sure you hold down the Alt and Ctrl keys together, then click on something and drag your mouse around.Step 2: Pan landscape. Hold down the Alt, Ctrl and Shift keys all together and drag your mouse. Did you notice that as you move the mouse, the camera slides across the landscape as if you are dragging the ground around?Step 3: 360 degrees around yourself. To get a quick look around your avatar try this:With the Alt key pressed down, click on your avatar. While continuing to hold the Alt key down use the arrow keys to spin around your avatar. This is a great way to see what your avatar looks like from the front.Step 4: Camera Controls. There is one more way to access your camera controls in Second Life. Under View menu select the option Camera Controls. View > Camera ControlsYou will see two circles and a bar in between appear at the bottom of your screen.The left circle rotates the camera.The middle bar zooms in and out.The right circle moves the camera left, right, up and down.

Very soon we will post the available dates and time to come and enjoyour class!!!

jueves, 13 de noviembre de 2008

Two months ago I was checking my twitter account and found a message from Dafne Gonzalez about teaching Spanish in Second Life. I was intrigued by the fact of how could SL de used as a teaching tool. My first experience using this 3D world had not be motivating. As I knew Dafne who is a wonderful webhead I thought that why not give SL a second chance.

I was defenitely on the right track. Training in Language Lab started soon after I sent my CV to Dafne. I spread the word to the people I knew could be interested and fortunately Evelyn Izquierdo and Nelba Quintana applied for the job.

For our traininig Daf create a wiki for us to follow. Here you can find clear instructions on how to teach Spanish in SL. We had to create mini-lessons and share them with the rest of the trainees.Below you can take a look at some of our SL classes.

You can take a look at the wiki I created for my mini-lessons.My first lesson was on Shapes students had to identify the different names of shapes and locate them in the Second Life location they are.

I must confess that my first class was a real disaster!!!! I finished with a circle on my head and could not take it off. The lesson learned was that what I planned was too much for a 10 minute class in Second Life. Time is so different in this environment. It was an excellent experience!!

miércoles, 12 de noviembre de 2008

My first experience in Second life waslast year.Unfortunately I don´t have pictures of my first steps as I didn´t know how to use snapshots.

On Thursday November 2nd 2007 I was invited by Barbara Dieu to attend a talk she was going to give in Second Life. The last time I logged in Second Life was when Graham Stanley took a group of educators in a Balloon ride and it was an incredible experience.In cooking up a storm in education I had problems with my sound and it is wonderful how SL educators help you without knowing you. It took a while to finally have sound so I only listened to the last part of the presentation. There were a lot participants and the pictures Bee showed were great. I also have to thank Cristina Costa who through Skype also tried to help me solve my sound problems.Two weeks after I entered another chat Graham was having with a group of Italians. I was late and Graham teletransported me and I landed just in front of the presenter. Somehow the chart with the arrows where you can move did not show up so I couldn´t move. They considered me a “Griefer” and I was ejected from the chat!! I was flying in an unknown place. Should try to find out what happened with the chart.SL is still a big mystery and you can learn a lot of things in this environment.

jueves, 6 de noviembre de 2008

"‘Teaching and learning with MUVEs’ is a one year postgraduate programme, at distance, for future and in-service teachers who want to use innovative methods and tools to address learners motivation and participation issues in compulsory education.

MUVEnation will help teachers acquire the necessary competencies to integrate massively multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) into their teaching practice ; by exploring the links between :

virtual worlds, learning and motivation, active learning and pedagogical approaches that include socio-constructivism, situated learning, project based learning, learning by doing, game based learning, simulations and role-playing."

I have high expectations for this course and hope to be able to learn a lot from many international participants.